Ever heard a good song from your child hood on the radio?  

-Can you remember where you were when you first heard that song?

-Can  you remember what you were doing?

For me the answer to this one is the song "Louie, Louie" it played for a solid two to three weeks on a local radio station, their way of saying good bye and setting a guiness world record. BUT what I remember is driving my brother and I to high school. We would get in the car and look at each other and say" what do you want to listen to"? By mutual agreement we always turned it to that station while that song was playing!  For the whole time that song played over the next 2 to 3 weeks we would listen to it on our 15 minute drive to school. It was funny neither of us got tired of it, and now we always think of each other when we hear that song and our fun drive to school listening to that song. 

Ever felt the humid air in the summer?

-Did it take you back to a beach trip?

-A picnic outside?

- A sticky baseball game?

I have so many answers to this question - humidity in the air always brings good outside memories for me, time at topsail beach with my family, cruises with my husband, friends and family. Humidity brings me back to summer camp as a child then later a camp counselor. Humidity paired with the fresh smell of water in the morning reminds me of early morning runs in the mountains in college as well as being a raft guide on the local river - the tuckasegee. And so many more....

What about the smell of your favorite food?

- Where does that smell remind you of?

- What good feeling does that smell bring?

For me the answer to that question would be my grandmother cooking her sausage and potatoes or really...... anything. If grandma made it - it tasted wonderful. The smell of good food also reminds me of sitting around the table with family laughing over a great meal or maybe just snacks. 

My point is that each of our senses is linked to other senses that link an emotion  or  most likely many emotions associated with it. These emotions link to memory and bring to mind stories or feelings from our past or maybe hopes for the future.  

The largest sense used by humans is our sight. We see a picture of waves crashing on the sand. Can you hear the ocean, the gulls, the waves? Can you feel the salty, humid air, the breeze, the warm sometimes hot sand? Can you smell the ocean? Are you remembering a time you were there? Was it fun? Crazy? Relaxing?

A picture is worth a thousand words, many memories, and countless emotions. Please do not lose those memories in the world of digital - back them up there- but please print them out.  By printing them, putting them in a photo album, scrap book, etc. now you have two senses to use to remember -  the touch of the photograph or album and the viewing of the picture! You also have the ability to share those memories with friends when you print your photo. Because in reality a computer screen viewing of a photo is  really only best while one person  is sitting in front of it - not many at one time. 

Happy Memory Making and many blessings!

April of Running Mom Photography